Former Texas Congressman Charles Stenholm was the moderator for our second session here at the Farm Foundation Global Trade & Policy Issues conference. I don’t think you’ll find anyone more knowledgeable about the policy side of this discussion. He says that it’s clear to everyone that the price of our basic commodities which was extremely beneficial to our producers has …
Technical Global Biofuels Analysis
Providing us with a “Technical Global Biofuels Analysis” here at the Farm Foundation Global Trade & Policy Issues conference was Thomas Alfstad, Brookhaven National Laboratory. Thomas was on the program to speak about a technical global biofuels analysis. He says that last year they completed a study on biofuels. They looked at the U.S. importing fuels to meet the RFS. …
Energy Outlook
Michael Schaal is with the Energy Information Administration which is part of the U. S. Dept. of Energy. He spoke early on the program at the Farm Foundation conference about the global outlook for energy. He says they were actually looking at trends through 2030. He says that developing countries will be significantly increasing their fuel consumption which will be …
Biofuels Globally Topic of Farm Foundation Conference
Today and tomorrow I’ll be covering the Farm Foundation, Transition To A Bio Economy Conference: Global Trade and Policy Issues. Biofuels is the main topic of discussion. Wally Tyner is an energy economist with the Dept. of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University. He’s one of the first speakers on the program. I was able to speak with him before things …
Landfill Powers Ethanol Plant
The Sioux Falls Landfill is now providing methane gas to help power the daily operations of POET’s 105 million gallon per year ethanol plant in Chancellor, South Dakota. POET CEO Jeff Broin joined representatives from the City of Sioux Falls and the Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a ribbon cutting ceremony at …
Environmental Film Launched Amidst Controversy
Hey – in case you haven’t heard, tar sands are going to save the world. They are a renewable fuel you know. Wrong and wrong. Today, a new documentary focusing on the controversy surrounding the development of Alberta’s oil sands, “Downstream”, will be entering the US TV market, just in time to fire people up for Earth Day. Downstream is …
North Carolina Funds Biofuels Projects
The Biofuels Center of North Carolina is giving the emerging biofuels sector in the state a $2.77 million jolt. The Center has approved a total of 18 grants to accelerate the technologies and feedstocks needed to develop the state’s biofuels sector. “The Midwest has corn and Brazil has sugarcane. North Carolina needs to develop conversion technologies for the types of …
Senate Bill Would Change Biomass Definition
Senators John Thune (R-SD), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) have reintroduced legislation that would fix the flawed definition of renewable biomass in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
Energy Goals Include Biofuels Research
Energy Secretary Steven Chu says for the sake of our children and grandchildren, the United States “must decrease our dependence on oil, use energy in the most efficient ways possible, and lower our carbon emissions.” Chu told the House Science and Technology Committee this week that in order to make that happen, the government needs to increase funding and “support …
ACE Thanks EPA Administrator for Support
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) sent a letter this week to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson thanking her for EPA’s consideration of the application for approval to use ethanol blends up to E15. Just a few days before the waiver petition was filed, Administrator Jackson met with a group of 30 ethanol supporters who traveled to Washington DC …